


Picnic Buds

by Sentry



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Crack Treated Seriously, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Muteness, Piercings, Sign Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:08:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23275279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sentry/pseuds/Sentry
Summary: Steven and Onion go on a picnic.
Relationships: Onion/Steven Universe
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	Picnic Buds

As Steven arranges the array of food on his Dogcopter blanket, it occurs to him again that he has no idea when this tradition started. 

He ponders it as he helps himself to some fry bits, but comes up blank. It seems like they'd always done it, and the childhood tradition had just carried over into their teen years. There are a few noticable differences - most of the food has been replaced with healthier alternatives, (fry bits nonwithstanding) the blanket has been switched several times due to both wear and freak accidents, and the location has been moved from the beach below Steven's house to the lighthouse rising above it. 

That particular change is the most recent. It had been announced to the half-gem in the form of a note being shoved through his window at three in the morning. 

Steven licks his fingers free of grease before he fishes the paper from his pocket. Straightening the crinkles out, he hums absentmindedly as he studies it again. 

Familiar messy handwriting combines with hasty drawings to create a disorganized, but relatively clear message. A clock with legs (is it dancing or running?) is in the upper corner near the sun, its zigzag hands pointing to the five. 

Steven checks his phone with a frown. His picnic bud is running a little late. That's really not like--

Someone tackles Steven hard from behind, and he lets out a surprised shriek. His gem thrums as he prepares to summon his shield, but the perpetrator rolls over him, plopping on their back carelessly. The food, somehow, is miraculously spared from the impact. Steven clutches his rapidly beating heart as dark eyes stare up at him blankly. 

"Ow, Onion!" He hisses. "What the heck was that for?"

The other boy shrugs, rolling into a sitting position fluidly. The wind rustles his blond hair as he tilts his head, eying the spread of food with detached interest. Steven takes a moment to study him as he works to slow his racing heart. 

These days, Onion is looking less like an adorably strange kid, and more like the personification of chaos. A string of strangely shaped piercings line one ear, and he's wearing a hoodie with a _G.U.Y.S_ alien character on the front. Curling letters that read _I'm not weird - I'm limited edition_ twist around its tentacled head.

Onion roots around in the pocket before bringing out a bag of--

"Cookie Cat _Candy_?!" He says, breathless all over again. All right, Onion is forgiven. Steven swears his own eyes gleam with awe. "I thought they stopped making these forever ago?" 

The blond nods, but offers no further explanation. He waggles the bag teasingly, but _tsks_ when Steven reaches for it. 

"Aw, Onion, come on." Steven whines. "They're strawberry flavored!" 

_'Dessert'_ Onion signs, which is ridiculous, considering Onion never follows any kind of rules, let alone something as trivial as _food_ etiquette. Plus, it looks like the bag's been opened already. Still, he ignores Steven's pout and sets them aside with a sadistic glee. Frowning, Steven seriously debates rescinding his forgiveness. Onion stands up, leaving the Dogcopter blanket in favor of the grass. He snatches up his backpack, which he'd apparently ditched before tackling him, and returns, plopping down at his side. 

Steven eats a few actual strawberries (albeit sulkily), watching his friend root around in search of something. The onion shaped bag had been a gift from Steven years ago, back when he thought it was both cool and hilarious to carry around food shaped luggage. He likes to think that his sense of humor has evolved a tiny bit. His own cheeseburger backpack is largely retired, but Onion refuses to stop using his. 

It's fine, though. He _is_ a few a years younger than Steven. Plus, it's kind of... cute? For Onion, anyway. 

The blond pulls out a clunky looking portable DVD player, and Steven blinks in surprise. Onion rarely contributes much in terms of supplies when it comes to their little picnics. The candy was a surprise in itself, but this? Whoa. 

Puffy clouds drifting lazily through the sky cast shadows across the both of them. Onion follows one until he's stretched out on his stomach, humming an offkey tune under his breath. Turning the DVD player on, he casts a blank look over his shoulder, patting the space of blanket next to him invitingly. 

Steven blinks again. "Oh, uh. Okay." 

He moves the food out of the way carefully, making sure it's still within their reach as they watch whatever Onion has planned. Steven is a fairly optimistic person, but he can't help but eye the screen warily. He pops another strawberry in his mouth, and offers one to Onion, who refuses. He refuses all of the food, in fact. Steven props his head on a hand, feeling a little worried. 

"You're not sick are you?" He asks. Onion snorts, shaking his head. The title screen for the movie comes up, slightly fuzzy and faded at the edges. 

" _Lonely Blade : Samurai Hearts?_ " Steven asks, intrigued, yet perplexed. The spinoff is definitely on his watchlist, (Lonely Blade _deserves_ love after finally defeating the evil janitor!) but he had no idea it was on Onion's. The blond's look of disgust during the previews had been so comical that Steven choked on his popcorn in the theater. 

His gaze flicks suspiciously from the movie to the candy ensnared in Onion's hand. 

Something is up, that's for sure. It's his duty as Onion's best friend to find out what.

Near the end of the movie, Steven is far too distracted to press the issue. Unshed tears fill his eyes as Lonely Blade coughs dramatically in his estranged, once dead wife's (you really have to see the movie to understand) arms. Impassioned Japanese flows from his bloody lips -- _I thought it was my destiny to die lonely, but you, my darling...you have shown me love!_

Onion looks entirely unimpressed, but he smiles a bit when Steven sniffles. The half-gem is resting his head against the side of Onion's shoulder, valiantly holding back a fresh wave of tears as the credits begin to roll. 

"How could they _end_ it like that?" Steven protests, hiding his face against Onion in despair. The smaller boy shifts to pat his back comfortingly, upsetting leftover fry bits and fruit skins. The motion feels so robotic and stiff that Steven can't help but to chuckle, pulling away to spare Onion from feeling awkward. 

"Thanks, buddy." Steven says, sighing. It's a happy sigh, even if his mind is plagued with Lonely Blade's grim life. He sits up, stretching out a bit after lying down for so long. "Geez, I really hope there's gonna be a sequel. Everyone deserves a happy ending, _especially_ Lonely Blade."

Onion closes the DVD player, shoving it back in his bag carelessly. He makes a small noise of agreement as he sits up, making Steven beam. 

"See? I told you you'd like it if you just gave it a chance. The fighting is great and all, but the story is so much better."

Onion rolls his eyes theatrically, and Steven chuckles again. The sky is fading into golden and pink hues above them. Geez, he didn't realize the movie was that long. He starts to gather their - well, his, considering Onion never ate anything - trash as he speaks again. "Next time we watch something, it'll be something you'll like more, I promise. Connie said there's some documentary about snakes on TV tomorrow night. Maybe you can stop by and watch it. I can invite her if you want."

Onion makes a noise of distaste, though Steven doesn't know which part it's directed at. Probably the latter. Despite his best efforts, the blond still isn't Connie's biggest fan. 

Onion snatches his hand as he goes to stand, and Steven hesitates. He smiles in comprehension when Onion holds up the bag of Cookie Cat Candy wordlessly. 

"Oh, I forgot! Thanks again, Onion." 

The bag is relinquished freely this time, and Steven feels a little guilty about being suspicious earlier. Sure, Onion can be selfish sometimes, but he's still Steven's best friend. He shouldn't have thought he had some ulterior motive just because he was being overly kind. Talk about paranoid. 

Steven smiles fondly, offering some to Onion first. Onion only shakes his head though, sighing a tad dramatically.

_'I can't.'_ He hands make shadows on the blanket as he speaks, mingling with those of the clouds. _'My mouth.'_

"Your...what? What happened to your - _holy fry bits, Onion!"_

Said blond leans back on his arms, not a care in Beach City as he displays his tongue. His, by the looks of it, very infected tongue. It's a bright, angry red with bits of white oozing down the edges. There's a glint of metal embedded in the darkened flesh. Onion shifts the piercing around almost curiously. 

Yep, Steven's gonna throw up. 

Ignoring his churning nausea, he shuffles forward, cupping Onion's face gently to get a better look. The blond sighs, and Steven braces himself for a smell, but it's actually not bad. That's gotta be a good sign, right? Infection wise?

"Geez, do your parents even know that you got this?"

Steven still remembers how angry Yellowtail had been about his array of ear piercings. He can't imagine that he gave him permission for _this_. 

Then again, Onion probably didn't ask. 

Steven clamps down on his panic as Onion blinks at him. "Look, Onion, we have to get you to a doctor or something. Come on, I'll have the gems take us." 

He releases his friend's face to grab one of his hands, pulling urgently, but Onion refuses to budge. He's actually almost _pouting._

_'They'll make me take it out.'_ He says. _'I melted a piece of my old crowbar to make this.'_

And, oh-kay. Steven considers himself adept at handling Onion's weirdness, but even he doesn't know where to start with that. He ends up spluttering nonsensically for a full minute while Onion stares at him patiently. 

"Well, you should have thought about that, Onion!" Is what he eventually settles for, and yeah, that sounds about right. Onion shrugs. He winces as he shifts his tongue around again, and his pained expression goes straight to Steven's racing heart.

_'You can heal me.'_ Onion says eventually, and Steven's nodding before he can even think about it. He can lecture his friend about sanitary safety later. Right now, he just wants to make sure he doesn't die of a rotten tongue or something. That be twisted irony for someone who doesn't even talk.

He licks his palm awkwardly, needing several tries as most of his spit has dried up with his disgusted panic. Onion pushes his hand away when he offers it, though, shaking his head. Steven's brows furrow. He only has about two seconds to be confused.

Because then, Onion's mouth is pressing against his. 

The half-gem freezes, and Onion's tongue presses past his lips with another sigh. Steven's eyes scrunch shut as he prepares for the taste of blood, of, _ugh, pus,_ but it never comes. He tastes...sweet, actually, and Steven's eyes flutter back open in surprise. Strawberry and cream mix warmly with the taste of metal, and Steven suddenly finds that lack of saliva is no longer an issue. Onion's lips ghost against his like whispers of a conversation Steven isn't entirely privy to. Those little sighs of contentment scatter that bizarre taste even further, making him dizzy.

Steven solely blames curiosity when he bridges the gap as the blond pulls away. It's a messy, jumbling action, but Onion doesn't seem to mind. He only smiles, a smug victorious edge to it that Steven doesn't appreciate. Then, he's moving his pierced tongue against Steven's own in a slow, easy roll, and he forgets how to think for a bit. Onion curls a hand into his dark hair as he does so, tugging at it lightly. 

The sensation is enough to break Steven out of this strawberry, metallicy haze and he jerks back. Onion looks a little dazed, touching at his upturned lips. 

And Steven? 

Steven isn't sure what to feel. He should probably feel angrier than he does, but--

"That was my first kiss." He says eventually, because hey, it seems like the thing to say. 

Onion grins, mischievous, and offers the bag of candy that he'd dropped. 

Strawberry flavored. 

_'Dessert?'_ Onion asks, and Steven feels like an idiot. A giddy, maybe lovestruck idiot. 

"Sure."


End file.
